


Killian Lake

by Shanrocks



Category: The Beatles (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Fantasy, M/M, Magic, Paul has magic powers, Wiccan - Freeform, Witches, and maybe John does too, the boys are in their teens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:33:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26350453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shanrocks/pseuds/Shanrocks
Summary: John is the new kid, just moved to the town of Killian Lake. He finds out very quickly that there is something a bit different about the residents in this town. One night he meets a friend by the lake and learns that some things are beautiful enough to keep secret.
Relationships: John Lennon & Paul McCartney, John Lennon/Paul McCartney
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21





	Killian Lake

_The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt within the heart. ~ Helen Keller_

~~~~~~

John walked–or more or less stumbled–along the path through the woods, cursing every time he kicked a root or tripped over a rock. Nighttime hiking was not his forte. John conceded to the fact that he’d never be graceful while walking in the woods. He knew he should have grabbed the flashlight by the door before heading out of the house, but the winding path that led from his aunt’s cottage to the lake wasn’t that far, at least in the daylight it didn’t seem far. After tripping over some unseen object along the pathway for what seemed like the hundredth time, nearly knocking his forehead against a low-hanging tree branch _again_ , John swore that if he ever met another person who waxed poetic about romantic moonlit paths, he was going to kick their ass.

Finally, the thick brush and dense forest opened to a lush clearing a few hundred feet from the water’s edge. A bright green oasis during the day, this time of night the area was more subdued, muted in blues and grays that cast shadows through the swaying grasses that dipped and bowed, playing hide-and-seek with the soft moonlight.

The air was crisp, yet the night was unseasonably warm with scents of wood fires and damp earth floating on the gentle breeze. Symphonies of crickets’ song filled the quiet darkness, their calls echoing across the expanse of the still lake. Like a black mirror reflecting the twinkling stars of the eternal skies, the lake stretched into the horizon, smooth as glass. Ancient pine trees, inky black in the moonlight, reached toward the midnight blue sky, towering like royalty over a land full of mysteries and secrets. Fog had rolled in with the night, just touching the edge of the water while blanketing the forest floor, weaving slowly through the whispering pines.

John carefully skirted fallen trees and old stumps, dodging the occasional mud hole where the earth never seemed able to fully dry after the rain. He felt his heart thump to the rhythm of the crickets as he neared the shoreline. Goose bumps rose along his skin hearing the cry of a loon, a lonely sound, yet somehow in tune with the beauty of the wilderness.

A soft rustling came at John’s right and he turned in time to see Faolan emerge from the thick brush. The majestic gray wolf stood motionless, piercing the darkness with his golden eyes. John returned the stare until the feral canine turned his head, ears twitching. He spared John one last glance before bounding towards the lake. John let out a quiet breath and followed in Faolan’s wake, for the mighty wolf never roamed far from Paul’s side.

Sure enough, just beyond the giant fallen oak, Paul was crouched at the lake’s edge, his slim form bathed in the blue of the night. He rose as John approached and smiled shyly. His chest and feet were bare, jeans rolled up above his ankles, fingers and toes already wet. John could have sworn Paul’s eyes were glowing, but passed it off as a trick of the moonlight reflecting off the water.

“I was beginning to think you weren’t gonna show,” Paul said.

John scratched the back of his neck and shrugged. “Oh no, just got a little sidetracked listening to my Elvis vinyl, you know.” _And waiting for Aunt Mimi to fall asleep._ His aunt wasn’t too keen on letting her nephew out after eleven in the evening to go romping around the lake in the dark – especially on a school night – Wiccan or not. But Paul didn’t need to know that.

“So, what’s going on? Are we out here to become one with nature or something?”

Paul shook his head and turned back to the water. “I want to show you something.”

He bent down by the water’s edge again, laying his palms flat on the surface. He looked at John and this time there was no mistake. His eyes flashed for an instant, lightning in a green bottle. But he smiled again, and John noticed faint freckles dancing across the bridge of Paul’s nose, and he was captivated.

“C’mere,” Paul coaxed. “The water doesn’t bite.” He splashed some against John’s jeans and snickered.

“You sure we should be out here? Especially this time of night?” John asked, eyes darting around tensely, but he was already taking off his shoes and socks. “I mean, I know this area is supposed to be safe from. You know. _Them_. But-” John hesitated before stripping off his t-shirt, spotting Faolan lounging just beyond Paul’s other side, stretched on an outcropping of rocks jutting out of the lake. He did feel a little safer knowing the wolf was near.

“It’s fine, John.” Paul pulled on his arm, making John kneel down beside him. “They don’t come here. Ever. This is _tutis humus_. Safe ground.”

John nodded, remembering the same phrase uttered by his aunt in past conversations. But there was nowhere in the woods at night that ever seemed completely safe to John. He felt comfortable here, his body and mind in tune with the surroundings. He knew this was where he belonged, felt it in the marrow of his bones. But just because one felt safe didn’t mean they threw caution to the wind. That was just plain stupid. Yet John felt safe with Paul. He trusted him. And right now, with his half-naked body this close to Paul’s in the early dark, John wasn’t about to turn tail and run just because of some creepy feelings.

Paul moved slightly, bumping against John as he leaned over, fingers splayed palms down barely brushing the water as his hands moved back and forth sending tiny ripples flowing outward into the lake. He lowered his head and closed his eyes, chest rising and falling as he took a few deep breaths. John seized the unguarded moment to memorize the shape of Paul’s pert nose and the curve of long lashes resting on soft, round cheeks. Paul’s plump lower lip caught between his teeth as his brow furrowed in what John hoped was deep concentration and not pain. He had no idea what was going on, but he thought Paul looked even more beautiful like this–soft, pale skin kissed by the light of the moon. John’s fingers itched to reach out and touch, and he was just about to do so when movement in the water caught his eye.

At first, he thought it was just the reflection of the stars moving on the surface of the water, but upon closer inspection, John noticed the lights actually shone from _within_ the water, neon pinpricks of color darting around Paul’s palms. It looked to John like hundreds of fireflies glowing bright pinks and greens, blues and yellows, shining and dimming and swirling just beneath the surface of the dark water as they followed the movement of Paul’s hands. John peered closer, his nose just a few inches above the water. Fish! The glowing lights weren’t fireflies at all, of course, but tiny minnows emanating effervescent colors, the likes of which John had never seen before. More and more of them gathered near Paul’s fingertips, moving like a single entity, rainbows of light twisting and gliding like strings of Christmas lights swaying in the wind.

Paul opened his eyes and grinned at John. With a mischievous wink, he stood and took a tentative step into the water. The tiny minnows converged around his foot, so tightly compact as if Paul was standing on a giant glow-in-the-dark mushroom. John watched as Paul tread slowly out into the water. Only his friend wasn’t walking in the water. He was walking _on_ it. About fifteen feet out into the lake, the water should have reached Paul’s waist, but the minnows seemed to act like neon stepping stones, keeping Paul afloat as he walked, and then he began to run.

The sight of Paul running on top of the so very much _not_ frozen lake stole John’s breath. He watched in complete awe as Paul giggled and kicked at the water looking so open and alive and happy. He’d known that this was the boy who could talk to animals, but what John was witnessing now was so far beyond the Wiccan gift of magicks. He’d realized his ancestors here at Killian Lake were powerful, but he’d never heard of magicks such as this. Somehow, John knew he was seeing something private and special, something that Paul didn’t share with just anyone, and he felt privileged to be asked here to observe it.

After a few minutes of playing and splashing around on his own, Paul returned to the lake’s edge, water droplets sparkling like diamonds on his skin. His chest heaved with exertion as he paused to catch his breath. Then he reached his arm out, hand extended towards John.

“Do you trust me?”

As nervous as John might have felt at that moment, he hadn’t a doubt in his mind of the answer to that question. Still unable to form words, he merely nodded and grasped Paul’s offered hand.

Paul pulled gently, slowly edging John out onto the water. John looked down at his feet, watching amazed as ripples of tiny glowing fish darted underneath each step. He figured out right away that he wasn’t actually stepping on the fish, but it was the force of the water from the minnows’ manic swimming that was keeping him afloat. It kind of felt as if he was walking on air bubbles.

John grew more confident with each step, sharing a wide grin with Paul when he felt secure enough to take his eyes off of his own feet. Only then did he realize just how far out onto the lake they had walked. Black water stretched out all around them, hundreds of yards from any point of the shore. The fog was thinner here, a translucent mist that hugged close to the surface of the water. The stars above seemed brighter, somehow, and the air felt crisper and cleaner. Even though he’d joked about it earlier, the feeling of complete calm settled over John, a moment of profound oneness with all sounds and scents of the forest absorbed through every pore and intake of breath.

And then a shockingly cold splash of water hit him directly in the face, jolting him back to the here and now. He felt a smile tug at his lips as he wiped the cool water droplets from his face. He turned to see Paul hunched over, laughing like a child.

“Oh, you are so going to pay for that.”

They both took off like a shot, musical laughter echoing through the darkness. Paul raced a few steps ahead, darting and dodging just out of John’s reach as they both continued to kick and splash in the water. Each running step caused multicolored fireworks to burst beneath their feet, shaming the twinkling midnight stars with their fiery brilliance. John barely noticed other larger fish leaping out of the water, creating splashes that rippled throughout the lake like giant raindrops. He was solely focused on getting his hands on Paul, not quite sure what would happen if he succeeded.

This was the happiest and most carefree John had ever seen Paul. His friend’s elfin smile really did take over his entire face when he laughed this brightly. Not only did John catch a glimpse of the ephemeral glowing eyes once again, but it seemed as if Paul’s entire body shined, emitting his own unearthly halo of light amplified by the ghostly mist. Maybe John was actually chasing a pixie or a woods fairy complete with wild dark hair, warm, multi-colored eyes and Cupid’s bow lips. All Paul was missing was the glittery wings. Or was he?

In the midst of his wondering and haste to catch his friend, John stumbled. As he collided with Paul, John’s only thought as they crashed beneath the surface was that only _he_ could be clumsy enough to trip over _water_.

The instant shock of coldness dissipated quickly and John let his body go limp, hovering weightlessly in the silent depths until the bubbles cleared. Underwater, the complete lack of sound made his other senses hyper-aware. Eyes scanning his surroundings, it took him a few moments to realize the deep water wasn’t pitch black as it should have been without the penetrating sunlight. Instead, endless, lively greens and cool, summer blues spread out all around him. The neon minnows were everywhere, darting over his head and through his legs, leaving tiny comet trails of pastel-tinted lightning in their wake. They converged again, this time swirling around Paul who seemed just as delighted to be under the water as running above it. The area around Paul blazed a kaleidoscope of color, bathing him in light so serenely beautiful, John’s chest ached with longing. When their eyes met and Paul smiled, John knew his dreams would forever pale in comparison to the wonderment he felt this night.

Lightheaded and breathless from lack of oxygen, John kicked to the surface. He shook his hair out of his eyes and tread water in circles searching for any sign of Paul. A strong tug at his jeans nearly caused him to inhale a lungful of water. Paul surfaced in front of him, laughing as he tried to dunk John again. The water war went on for a few minutes until both boys were gasping between giggles.

John looked towards shore, wondering if he was going to be able to make the swim back without embarrassing himself by drowning. It still didn’t quite sink in that the two of them _ran_ this far out to the middle of the lake. He smirked, sending Paul a curious glance.

“How’d you make them do it?”

“What?” Paul quirked a brow. “The fish?”

“Yeah.”

“I didn’t _make_ them do anything. I asked them.”

Paul said it so matter-of-factually, John almost believed it was perfectly normal to be able to talk to fish.

“You asked them?” John parroted.

Paul grinned crookedly. “You’d be amazed at the things you could get if you only asked.”

 _Oh god._ And how was John supposed to resist _that_ invitation, intentional or not? Seeing the blush spread across Paul’s cheeks as he ducked his head, John guessed it was very unintentional. But the shy act only made John bolder. He drifted closer, ripples of water lapping between their bare chests. He was near enough to feel the heat emanating from Paul’s skin, their legs barely brushing as they kicked lazily to stay afloat. John felt the puff of Paul’s breath against his chilled lips as he leaned in, completely mesmerized by the enchanting glow of Paul’s eyes.

“Can I …”

“Yes.”

John didn’t hesitate and sank in deep. Paul’s lips were petal soft and cool, yielding to John’s insistence. He tasted of quiet secrets and lazy afternoons, tangy sweet and fresh like ripened raspberries kissed by the rain. John couldn’t get enough, licking inside in search of more. In his mind’s eye, he saw himself running through the forest, Faolan by his side. He felt the scratchy roughness of pine needles beneath his bare feet and the warmth of sunshine across his shoulders. He dodged around strips of shimmering light shining down through the trees like golden fingers reaching for the earth. A joyous laugh bubbled from his chest as he stretched his arms out by his sides, gliding on the breeze like a hawk in flight. The gentle wind caressed his skin while whispering mysteries through the endless woods. All the while his heart sang with the single sensation that encompassed it all.

_Alive._

The vision shattered by the cry of a wolf, and Paul pulled from his grasp. John’s heart thundered in his chest while his fingertips brushed the phantom tingle of pressure still moist on his lips. New thoughts and feelings awakened; an ethereal storm of chaos brought to life by a single kiss. He could see the same dawning wonder echo in Paul’s gaze. The lonely howl resonated again. Faolan calling for his charge, John presumed, as Paul sighed.

But he smiled, catching Paul’s eyes again. The simple pleasure of being here, able to share this amazing time with Paul would keep his spirits high for a long time to come. John had heard the tales of Killian Lake and of the secrets it kept hidden throughout time and captured in moments such as these. The two of them had unwittingly created another memory, a surreptitious collection of splendor and joy forever concealed, locked within the mysterious depths of the lake. But for John, it was so much more. Perhaps a tarnished heart could shine brilliantly again when soothed with the balm of hope.


End file.
